Island



IVI. C. MILLER.

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE. v

APPLICATION FILED JULY 14,1913.

Patented Jan. 20, 1920.

M. C. MILLER.

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED IULY I4, 1913.

Patented Jan. 20,1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

l/l/vrsses.- 12v/venan.

M. C. MILLER.

CIRCULAR KNlTTING MACHINE.

APPLlcAloN f1LED1uLY14.1913.

1,328,580, Patented Jan. 20, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3- M. c. MILLER.

cmcuLAR KNITHNG MACHINE. APP'LflcATloN FILED :uu/14.1913.

1,328,580, Patented Jan. 20, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

UNITED `STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MAX C. MILLER, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR T0 JENCKES KNIT'IING MACHINE COMPANY, OF PAWTUCKET, RHODE ISLAND, A; CORPORATION 0F RHODE ISLAND.

GIRCULAR-KNITTING- MACHINE. -V j To all lwhom z't ma concern.'

Be it known tiat I, MAX C. MILLER, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at Providence, in the county of Pro-vidence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Circular-Knitting Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to that type of knitting machines in which the needles are Aarranged in an endless series, usually circular, and commonly known as circular machines.

The object of the invention is to provide for the knitting of a closed pouch or pocket of narrowed and widened fabric, such as the toe of a stocking or top of a cap, on a machine of this general type;

To this end the invention contemplates forming a set up course of loops part of which are held by the needles about one side of the endless series, and others of which are held by loop retainers, while the needles upon which the setting up course is formed are operated to knit a pouch or pocket, after which the loops held bv the retainers are transferred to needles about the other side of the series which were inactive during the knitting of the pouch or pocket. Tubular fabric may then be knit on the needles about both sides of the series in the usual manner. Any suitable means may be employed for coperating with the needles in forming a setting up course of loops or stitches and for transferring loops or stitches from the coperating means to the needles after the pouch has been knit, without departing from the broader features of the invention. In the preferred construction, the setting up course is formed on needles of the knitting machine and on a correspending number of loop retainers, which preferably also act as transfer lingers, the setting up course consisting of Va double series of loops held by the loop retainers and needles. If the loop retainers lalso act as transfer fingers they are preferably carried upon a segmental dial so mounted that it inav oe rotated slightly to shog the transfer fingers. and so that it may be swung` vertically 'through' 180 to bring loops vcar- Specication of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 14, 1913.

Patented'Jan. 2o, 1920.

Serial No. 779,040.

ried bv the transfer fingers into position for transfer` 'lhe -various features ofthe invention will be readily understood from an inspection of the accompanying 'drawingsand the following detailed description of the mechanism illustrated therein and its mode ofopera? tion. Y

In the drawings, Figure l is a vertical sectional View showing a hand machine enibodving the invention in its preferred form; Fig. 2 is a plan View of the machine; Fig. 3 is an elevation showing the arrangement of the knitting cams and thread guides; Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale showing the parts indicated in Fig. l; Figs. 5 and 6 are detail plan views showing the arrangement of the yarn on the needles and the loop retainer and transfer fingers; Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional View similar to Fig. 4, showing the parts in a different position: Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional detail view similar to Fig. 7, showing the parts in still another position; and Fig. 9 is a plan view showing the parts inthe positions indicated in Fig. 8. y

The machine shown in the drawings comprises a stationary needle cylinder 1 provided with grooves in which the latch needles 2 are mounted. The needles are reciprocated to effect the knitting by knitting cams 3 carried by a cam ring 4 which may be either rotated or reciprocated through gearing 5. The yarn W is led to the needles through a varn guide 6 carried by an arm 7 which is pivoted at 8 to the cam carrier, and may be swung, from one side to the other to properly position the yarn with relation to the needle wave vduring reciprocatory knitting. The positions of the yarn guide and arm are controlled by a slot 8 formed in the arm, the ends of which are arranged to engage a stop screw 9. The yneedles are provided with the usual butts 10 arranged to be operated upon by the kniting cams in the usual manner. Y

In addition to the needles and knitting cams, the machine is provided with a series of loop retainer and transfer fingers 11 mounted to slide radially in guides formed on a semi-circular dial 12. The dial is pivotallv supported upon the upper end of-a shaft 13, so that it mav be swung from the position 'indicated in Figs. 1 and`v 4 tothe position indicated in Fig.v 7. The'shaft 13 is mounted in a. bearing 14, and is held in position b v a set screw 15. The end of the set screw is provided with a projection 16 fittin within a groove 17 in the shaft, so that t e shaft may be supported and allowed to turn when the set screw is loosened, for a purpose hereinafter explained. When the dial is swung into the position indicated in F ig. 7, its position is determined by a stop 18.

Each finger is provided with a loop retaining hook 19 for engaging the yarn, and with an eye 2O back of the hook through which the needles of the needle cylinder may pass in transferring the loops from the finers to the needles. The fingers may also provided with shoulders 21 for engaging and locating the loops during the transfer.

In knitting the closed toe of a stocking, or the top of a cap or similar article, the machine is operated as follows. Half (or approximately half) of the needles, extending from needle 22 to needle 23 inclusive, which are to remain inactive during the narrowing and widening are raised so that their butts will pass over the tops of the knitting cams, as indicated at the left in Fig. 1. This Inay be done by hand while the knitting cams are on the opposite side of the needle cylinder. In forming the setting up course the operator first pushes forward the fingers 20 into the position indicated at the top of Fig. 5. He then lays the end of the yarn back of the first needle 24 in the active series and in front of several of the succeeding active needles, so that at the beginning of the knitting the yarn will be looped about the needle 24, and the free end will be knit into the fabric by several of the succeeding needles and thus securely fastened. After thus laying the yarn about the first needle, the operator moves the knitting cams along the series of active needles, and after each needle is drawn down to draw the yarn across the top of the adjacent finger, the finger is pushed back into retracted position so that the yarn is held by its hook, as indicated in Fig.. 5. After the yarn has been laid about all of the active needles and in the loop retaining hooks of the fingers, the niotion of the knitting cams is reversed, and the needles are operated to draw loo s through the ends of the zig-zag loops he d b the needles and hooks, as indicated in ig. 6, thus forming the first knitting course and forming the transfer loops which are held by the hooks. A narrowed and widened fabric is then knit upon the active needles in the well-known manner, the operator the needles from the active to the inactive or from the inactive to the active series duri the narrowing and widening by hand 1n the usual and welllmown manner. After the fabric has been and widened, at poudi or pocket will have been formed, the marginal loops along one side of which are carried by the needles, and the marginal loops along the other side of which are carried by the retainer hooks, as indicated in Fig. 4. The loops carried by the retainer hooks are now transferred to the previously inactive needles so that all the marginal loops of the pouch are held by the needles, and thereafter a circular fabric may be knitby continuously rotating the cam carrier to form the foot of a stocking or the cylindrical part of a cap or other article, or the needles may be operated to knit any other sha ed fabric.

To transfer the loops carried y the retainer hooks of fingers 11 to the needles of the needle cylinder, the set screw 15 is first loosened and the shaft 13 turned to shog the ngers through half the distance between adjacent needles, thus bringing the transfer fingers into line with the needles of the needle cylinder. The set screw 15 may then be tightened to hold the dial 12 carrying the fingers in proper relation to the needles. The dial is then swung from the position indicated in Fi 1 and 4 into the position indicated in Fig. 7. During the last stroke of the cam carrier contraclockwise the operator stops the travel of the carrier with the knitting cams in engagement with the butts of the active needles, so that the inactive needles are free of the cams and may be moved down into the position indicated in Fig. 7 by the operator either before or after the dial has been swun into the position indicated in Fig. 7. A ter the needles have been depressed, the operator draws forward the fingers from the position indicated in Fig. 7 to the position indicated in Fig. 8. This brings the eyes 20 of the fingers and the loops carried by the fingers over the tops of the needles. The operator then raises the needles into the position indicated in Fig. 8, the needles passlng up through the eyes of the fingers and into position with their hooks above the loopscarried by the fingers. The fingers are then drawn inward slightly to bring the loop against the needle and insure the engagement of the hook of the needle with the loop. The needles are then depressed by the operator until the hooks of the needles engage the loo carried by the fingers and draw them down into position below the hooks of the fingers. As shown, the loops are drawn down into engagement with the shoulders 21 which locate them properly with relation to the hooks of the fingers. The fingers are then pushed back into their retracted position, leaving the loops on the needles. The knitting of a circular fabric may then be effected by rotation of the cam carrier in the usual manner. Either before the rotary knitting has bcgun, or after it has continued for a short period, the setscrew 15y is loosened and the shaft 13 drawn down, thus withdrawing the dial 12 and shaft 13 fromwithin the :needle cylinder, sothat they will not interfere with the downward feed of the fabric during the continuation of rotary knitting, or during the knitting of the foot, heel Yor leg of a stocking.

While the invention has been shown as embodied in a circular independent needle machine in which the parts are operated by hand, it will be understood that it is not confined in its application to a machine of this type, or to a machine in which thev parts are manually manipulated, but may be embodied with advantage in other types of machines having endless series of needles, and in machines in which the needles and other parts are more or less automatically actuated and controlled.

Having explained the nature and object of the invention, and specifically described one form of machine in which it may be embodied, what is claimed is 1. A knitting machine, having, in combination, an endless series of needles, means for knitting a narrowed and widened fabric on needles about one side of the series, and means coperating with the needles about that side of the series to form a setting up course of needle and transfer loops, and for subsequently transferring the transfer loops to needles about the opposite side of the series.

2. A knitting machine, having, in combination, an endless series of needles, a series of loop retainers arranged to coperate with the needles about one side of the series of needles in forming a setting up course of loops, means for actuating the needles on which the loops are formed while the retainers hold their loops, and means whereby the transfer of loops held by the retainers to needles about the opposite sides of the series is effected.

3. A knitting machine, having, in combination, an endless series of needles, a series of transfer fingers arranged to cooperate with the needles about one side of the series 'of needles in forming a setting up course of the series of needles in forming a settingV up course of loops, and movable into posi tion for the transfer of loops therefrom to needles about the opposite side of the endless series.

5. A knitting machine, having, in comoperate with the needles about one side of the series of needles in forming a setting up course of loops, and movable into position to register with the needles about the other side of the series of needles.

6. A knitting machine, having, in combination, an endless series of needles, a dial mounted to swing about an axis within the series and approximately at right angles to the axis of the series of needles, and a series of loop retainers mounted in the dial corresponding' tothe needles on one side of the 'circular series. I

7. A knitting machine, having, in combination, an endless series of needles, a dial pivoted to swing about an axis within the series and approximately at right angles to the axis of the series of needles, and a series of loop retainers corresponding to the needles on one side of the series and mounted to slide in the dial.

8. A knitting machine, having, in combination, an endless series of needles, a dial pivoted to swing about an axis approximately at right angles to the axis of the series of needles, and a series of transfer fingers mounted to slide in the dial, each finger being provided with a loop retaining hook and with an eye for the passage of the needle.

9. A knitting machine, having, in combination, an endless series of needles, a dial pivoted to swing about an axis approximately at right angles to the axis of the series of needles and to turn laterally of the series of needles, and a series of transfer fingers mounted to slide in the dial, each finger being provided with a loop retaining hook and an eye for the passage of the needle.

l0. A knitting` machine, having, in combination, an endless series of needles, a dial arranged within the needles, a series of loop retainers mounted in the dial corresponding to the needles on one side of the series, means supporting the dial for movement about an axis approximately at right angles to the axis of the series of needles to bring the loop retainers into register with the needles on either side of the series, and means for withdrawing the dial from within the needles.

11. A knitting machine, having, in combination, an endless series of needles, devices coperating with the needles about one side of the series to form a setting up course of loops, means for knitting a narrowed and widened fabric on the needles and means for effecting a transfer of loops from the cooperating devices to the needles about the other side of the series.

12. A knitting machine, having, in combination, an endless series of needles, a

bination, an endless series of needles, and series of devices arranged to coperate with series of transfer fingers arranged to 2o-the needles about one side of the series in forming a setting up course of loops and movable into position for the transfer of loops therefrom to the needles about the other side of the series of needles.

13. A knitting machine, having, in combination, a circular series of needles, a dial mounted to swing about an axis approximately intersecting and at right angles to the axis of the series of needles and a series of radially movable loop-holding devices mounted in the dial and corresponding to the needles on one side of the circular series.

14. A knitting machine, having, in combination, an endless series of needles and loop forming devices movable into position to coperate With the needles on one side of the series in forming a setting up course of loops or into such position that the same loop forming devices may coperate with the needles on the other side of the series in transferring loops from said devices to the needles.

1 5. A knitting machine, having, in combination, a circular series of needles, means for engaging loops of a starting course and holding the same while a narrowed and widened pocket is knit on the needles about one half the series, and means for then applying said loops to the hitherto inactive needles about the other side of the series preparatory to knitting tubular fabric on all the needles.

16. A knitting machine, having, in combination, a needle cylinder, a series of needles mounted therein, and a semicircular series of transfer fingers mounted to swing about an axis substantially at right angles to the axis of the cylinder, from the position at one side of the cylinder to a position at the opposite side of the cylinder.

17. The method of knitting a closed toe stocking on an' endless series of needles which consists in engaging loops of the starting course of the toe pocket, retaining said loops during the knitting of the pocket on needles about one side of the series, then applying said loops to needles about the opposite side of the series which were inactive during the knitting of the toe pocket, and then knitting the foot upon the needles about both sides of the series.

18. The method of knitting on a knitting machine a closed end upon a tubular fabric which consists in engaging loops of the starting course and retaining said loops during the knitting of a narrowed and widened pocket on half the needles of the machine, then transferring said loops from the retainers to the hitherto inactive needles, and then knitting tubular fabric on all the needles.

19. The mode herein described of producing upon the needles of a knitting machine a closed toe upon thefoot web of a stocking, said mode consisting in first engaging loops of the starting course of a toe pocket, then carrying said loops backwardly out of range of the needles upon which the toe pocket is afterward produced by reciprocating knitting, and retaining them in such position during the formation of the toe pocket, then applying said loops to the hitherto inactive needles of the machine, and then knitting the foot web upon all of the needles.

MAX C. MILLER.

Witnesses:

M. A. HURLEY, N. D. MCPHAIL. 

